A common question posed to ornithology professors, birders and birding guides that has a surprisingly complicated answer © by GrrlScientist for Forbes | LinkTr.ee As a former birding guide, one question that I was often asked was why do turkey vultures have red heads and pale beaks whilst black vultures…

The report argues that nearly half of the planet’s animal species are now in decline, but unlike past mass extinctions, this one has been entirely caused by humans © by GrrlScientist for Forbes | LinkTr.ee Tragically, the global mass extinction event that we find ourselves in the midst of will…

Warmer temperatures make more female turtle hatchlings, but new research shows that those females also have a greater capacity for egg production, even before their sex is set © by GrrlScientist for Forbes | LinkTr.ee A recent study has found that turtles exposed to warmer ambient temperatures have increased numbers…

Researchers have discovered the venom of a notorious stinging caterpillar has a surprising ancestry and could be key to the delivery of lifesaving drugs © by GrrlScientist for Forbes | LinkTr.ee Animal venoms are viewed as one of the best sources for new molecules with potential applications in medicine, agriculture…

Older budgerigars can learn new vocalizations, but this ability may depend on the parrot’s ability and motivation to make new friends © by GrrlScientist hosted by Forbes | LinkTr.ee Language learning becomes more challenging for people as we age. Children learn languages easily, but this facility begins to decline when…

Real life is so much stranger than we can possibly imagine © by GrrlScientist hosted by Forbes | LinkTr.ee Not only is the universe stranger than we think, it is stranger than we can think. - Werner Heisenberg in Across the Frontiers (1974) As a student of living beings, I’ve…

Important living indicators of habitat quality, these giant salamanders are declining throughout their entire range — but why? © by GrrlScientist hosted by Forbes | LinkTr.ee Most people have never seen a hellbender, and a fair few have never even heard of them. The eastern hellbender, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, is the…

These four books about four different Australian bird species were written for children but they contain interesting information and beautiful artworks that adults who are reading them aloud to their youngsters will enjoy, too © by GrrlScientist hosted by Forbes | LinkTr.ee These charming children’s books are not actually sold…

Feral and free-roaming domestic cats shed more Toxoplasma parasites in areas that are densely populated by humans © by GrrlScientist hosted by Forbes | LinkTr.ee A recent study reports that free-roaming, stray, feral and “wild” domesticated cats tend to congregate in areas where humans are concentrated, like cities, and these…